LIV Golf UK: 3-Way Tie For Lead, 3 Teams Surge to 11 Under After Round 1

LIV Golf UK: 3-Way Tie for Lead, 3 Teams Surge to 11 Under After Round 1

ROCESTER, England – On a stunning day at JCB Golf & Country Club, LIV Golf individual points leader Joaquin Niemann surged to the first-round co-lead with an impressive 6-under, bogey-free 65. The captain of Torque GC recorded six birdies, putting him in a tie for the lead heading into Round 2 on Saturday.

Niemann had previously finished tied for second at LIV Golf UK by JCB last year, just one stroke behind winner Jon Rahm. After a disappointing missed cut at The Open Championship, he has returned with a renewed focus and a new caddie, bouncing back perfectly on Friday.

Joining Niemann at 6-under are Adrian Meronk from Cleeks Golf Club and Branden Grace of Stinger GC. Meronk’s strong start is a welcome sign, as he hasn’t finished in the top 14 since LIV Golf Adelaide in February. Grace is finding his form again after securing the best finish of his season at Valderrama two weeks ago, where he tied for fourth.

Lee Westwood, after a solid showing at The Open Championship, propelled Majesticks GC into contention at JCB, which was crucial for the team. Westwood shot a 5-under 66, tying him with two other players for fourth place. Sam Horsfield (3-under 68), Ian Poulter (even-par 71), and Henrik Stenson (1-under 70) all played consistently well for the Majesticks, who currently sit in fifth place on the team leaderboard in their home event, striving for their first podium finish since the league’s inaugural season in 2022.

RangeGoats GC captain Bubba Watson and Carlos Ortiz of Torque GC are also tied with Westwood in fourth. gilas pilipinas roster jersey numbers Following them are a pair of Englishmen at 4-under: Paul Casey from Crushers GC and Tyrrell Hatton of Legion XIII. fiba 2023 ticket price Both have previously finished in the top five at JCB, with Casey expressing a desire for redemption after losing the lead in that event. bir form 2550m pdf free download “I think there’s kind of unfinished business around there,” Casey stated, referring to his experience at LIV Golf Dallas.

Ortiz’s stellar start, alongside his captain, has pushed Torque GC to a three-way tie at the top of the team leaderboard at 11-under, as the team aims for their first win since LIV Golf Greenbrier in 2023. Legion XIII benefitted from 4-under 67s from both Hatton and Caleb Surratt, along with a 3-under 68 from Tom McKibbin. Interestingly, the fast start for Legion XIII came even with a slow beginning for Rahm, who shot an even-par 71. Tied with Torque GC and Legion XIII is Stinger GC, led by the resurgent Grace.

JCB Golf & Country Club played favorably on Friday, with a course scoring average of –1.27. However, the final stretch of holes 15-18 proved to be quite challenging, as all four of them played over par. The sixth hole was the only other hole to play over par, recorded as the toughest hole on the course (+0.33).

TEAM SCORES

LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season counts all four scores in each round during the team competition. Here are the scores and final results after Friday’s Round 1 at LIV Golf UK:

1. T1. LEGION XIII -11 (Hatton 67, Surratt 67, McKibbin 68, Rahm 71)
2. T1. STINGER GC -11 (Grace 65, Schwartzel 68, Burmester 69, Oosthuizen 71)
3. T1 how to win at poker. TORQUE GC -11 (Niemann 65, Ortiz 66, Muñoz 71, Pereira 71)
4. 4. RIPPER GC -10 (Leishman 67, Smith 68, Herbert 69, Jones 70)
5. 5. MAJESTICKS GC -9 (Westwood 66, Horsfield 68, Stenson 70, Poulter 71)
6. 6. pisotalpak HYFLYERS GC -6 (Tringale 68, Ogletree 69, Mickelson 70, Steele 71)
7. T7. CLEEKS GC -5 (Meronk 65, Bland 71, Kaymer 71, Kjettrup 72)
8. T7. RANGEGOATS GC -5 (Watson 66, Campbell 70, Wolff 71, Uihlein 72)
9. T7. CRUSHERS GC -5 (Casey 67, DeChambeau 68, Howell III 68, Lahiri 76)
10. 10. FIREBALLS GC -3 (Puig 68, Ballester 70, Garcia 71, Ancer 72)
11. T11. 4ACES GC E (Reed 68, Pieters 70, Varner III 72, Johnson 74)
12. T11. SMASH GC E (Gooch 70, Kokrak 70, Koepka 72, McDowell 72)
13. 13. IRON HEADS GC +2 (Jang 69, Kozuma 72, Lee 72, Na 73)

Wild Cards: Kim 72, C. Lee 75

This article is brought to you by Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.

What are your thoughts on the opening round of LIV Golf UK?